www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 16, 2007 - 3 Group aims for $Million or More for African AIDS victims By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville residents are feeling the drum beat of Africa in the beating of their own hearts. And if they're not, they're about to. Numerous local groups that have already taken up the cause of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and achieved notable fundraising success, are coming together to form $Million or More. With noted journalist Sally Armstrong as its honourary chair and former Oakville mayor Ann Mulvale its co-chair, $Million or More officially launched its website Tuesday. That same evening, it gathered a roomful of local residents -- well-known names in the community -- at Iroquois Ridge High School, a school with a history of advocacy, to brainstorm about raising awareness and funds. The official campaign launch is expected to be on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. That's when $Million or More is expected to announce that it aims to secure $1 million, or more, in Oakville between World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) 2007 and Dec. 1, 2009. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has rendered more than 13 million children in Africa orphans. A great majority of them are now being raised by their grandmothers -- an unexpected twist for the grandmothers. Instead of enjoying their twilight years, they are either caring for their AIDS-infected children or grieving their loss, and struggling to raise grandchildren -- often with no means of support, no drugs, and in an environment where they can be ostracized to the point of their home being burned because of their proximity to HIV/AIDS. It's also estimated the number of orphans could rise to 20 million in just a short time. Africa has literally become a dying continent where grandmothers are being left to deal with it. The so-called "cause" of the pandemic has been billed as gender inequity for women, who need a voice to refuse family now affectionately call the Stephen Lewis latrine. Another highlighted the need to bury three children. Yet another recounted how children share shoes in order to attend school. On the establishment of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, Landsberg-Lewis said, "We had no idea what was going to happen." There are now more than 150 grandmothers groups in Canada and Oakville's own oomama (which takes its name from a South African chant honouring women) has raised more than $120,000. The grandmothers campaign has raised more than $2 million in 14 months. MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER "It just shows what grandmothers can do if they put their mind to it," said Landsberg-Lewis. "Women are the backbone of the response to the AIDS pandemic," said Landsberg-Lewis. In a short brainstorming session that followed, those attending the meeting contributed many ideas, both on how to raise awareness and fundraise. Sharing stories, a day in the life of various people in Oakville versus their counterparts in Africa, and pen pal arrangements were among the ideas on how to generate awareness. Potential fundraising ideas ran the gamut from t-shirt or used media See Global page 10 ENCOURAGING WORDS: Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, executive director of Stephen Lewis Foundation, speaks to community members organizing a $Million or More campaign to help AIDS victims in Africa. unwanted sex and an economic means to support their families. Grassroots programs assist women, children, caregivers, the grannies and those living with HIV/AIDS and lobbying for legislative change. The Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) funds such assistance programs in 14 countries on the African continent. ma, local grandmothers supporting grandmothers in Africa, at Appleby College. The Iroquois Ridge conference raised just under $13,000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The oomama event raised more than $100,000. At Tuesday's meeting, Lewis' daughter, Ilana LandsbergLewis, executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, was on hand to encourage the Oakville effort, which mirrors a similar model in York Region. "An overwhelming problem is what a pandemic is," said Mulvale, noting $Million or More and its supporters are choosing to heed a call many others have chosen to ignore. After watching a video by Lewis and hearing from Mulvale, Tuesday's crowd heard from numerous speakers including a letter from Armstrong, Iroquois Ridge students Stephen Soock and Nicole Markwick, and Sherry Ardell and Donna Hall-Clark of oomama. After that, Landsberg-Lewis took the podium and the most touching moments of her presentation came when she read letters from people involved in various assistance projects in Africa. There was one asking for toilet facilities, which she said her Custom Designed Jewellery "Women are the backbone of the response to the AIDS pandemic." Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation The popular and respected Lewis was the United Nations' Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and authored The Race Against Time. He's chair of the SLF and in March 2006, the foundation launched the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign. All funds raised by Oakville's $Million or More will be sent directly to the SLF. 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